George Rodrigue (1944-2013) was born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana, the heart of Cajun country. His studies at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles spawned one of the greatest success stories in American art. Throughout his career, he portrayed on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage—including its land, people, traditions, and mythology. One myth, the “loup-garou,” spawned his most famous series, The Blue Dog.
Throughout his career, Rodrigue enjoyed groundbreaking success. In 1974, as a young man of thirty, he became the first American artist in 100 years to receive an award from Le Salon in Paris, when he won an Honorable Mention for a painting of his mother’s school class. His book, The Cajuns of George Rodrigue (1976, Oxmoor House) was the first national publication on the Cajun culture and was chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts and First Lady Rosalynn Carter as an official Gift of State during the Carter White House. Published in five languages, Blue Dog (1994, Viking Penguin), sold more than 200,000 copies and is legendary in the world of art book publishing.
During the 1990s and 2000s, Rodrigue’s creative partnerships with Absolut Vodka, Neiman Marcus, and Xerox Corporation catapulted the artist to worldwide fame. Rodrigue’s international presence included galleries in Munich, Germany, and Tokyo, Japan, along with galleries in Carmel, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, museum exhibitions of his work routinely break attendance records.
In 2013, at age 69, George Rodrigue died of lung cancer, thought to have been triggered by years of working with oil paints and varnishes in unventilated spaces. Today, his widow, Wendy, shares his original art and story with museums and school classes across the country through her Life & Legacy Foundation and Art Tour, a non-profit organization meant to educate and inspire others by way of Rodrigue’s painted, imaginary world.
Filmed in 2004 on the American Queen Riverboat, this rare footage showcases Rodrigue’s history, art, and personality. Released for the first time ever publicly in June 2023, this personal glimpse of George Rodrigue, as he visits with his friends and collectors, coincides with the 10th anniversary of his death and the launch of a 3-state, 5-museum tour.
This remarkable film is copyright Douglas Magnus and may not be used without permission.